drying reclaimed heart pine

[hendrix1226]

Is it necessary to dry 150-200 year old heart pine?  I salvaged I from my great great grandfathers home in south Carolina and I have planed the tops and bottoms flat to remove all the twist.  I left the edges rough sawn for the look.

It is all true 2x4 and 2x6 and I plan on building a few table tops for myself and my dad for sentimental reasons.  So my question is that now that I have it planed to about 1.5" thickness do I need to worry about it warping?  Should I dry it?  I don't mind if the tops aren't exactly perfect but I want them to look good and last.  By the way I live in Florida where the humidity is crazy.

Any help would be appreciated

[beenthere]

Likely any change in moisture content (higher or lower relative humidity) will cause the wood you flattened by planing to twist some more (or less).

[Den Socling]

Welcome to the Forum. No, you do not need to dry your wood. If your home in Florida is air conditioned, then nothing is going to happen. If you put your tables some place that isn't air conditioned, they are going to pick up a little moisture but I don't believe there will be enough to cause any warp.

[whiskers]

welcome, sounds like an interesting project. we like pictures if you'd care to share your project.

[WDH]

I just dried some that came from an old hay barn.  Moisture content was 20%.  Customer wanted to build a bed, and if that had not been dried to less than 10%, there would have been issues.  I would surely check the moisture content before I used it.  You are probably OK, but is better to know. 

[red oaks lumber]

welcome to the forum
i agree with den about your climate with ac ,i also agree with wdh on finding what the current m.c. in the wood .

[WDH]

Yeah, if it came from a house and not a barn floor with damp, musty, old hay laying on it, you are surely in better shape. 

[GeneWengert-WoodDoc]

Oftentimes it is best to heat this wood to over 133 F to assure that any insects and their eggs are killed.  Once sterilized, do not let the wood close to unsterilized wood.

[Magicman]

Welcome to the Forestry Forum, hendrix1226.